Best Beer Towns in America

Washington, D.C.

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In the past few years, the craft beer scene inside the Beltway has exploded. Drinking in our nation's capital isn't a completely buttoned-up affair, but power lunches near deep beer lists feel grown-up. Commercial brewing here is still new, which means you will find plenty of scrappy upstart breweries with unpretentious tasting rooms, such as 3 Stars Brewing Company and Atlas Brew Works.

Best Brews, Breweries, and BarsThe DC Brau Brewing Company is one of the best new breweries in town. Brewery tours and tastings happen on Saturdays, when you'll inevitably have the chance to try The Public Pale Ale.

A can't-miss beer destination, Bluejacket Brewery (now called The Arsenal), occupies a former industrial Navy Yard space that has become an airy brewery and ground-level restaurant called The Tavern. The brewery makes a range of beers to supply the 25 on-site taps, and Beer Director Greg Engert helps design beer recipes to pair with specific dishes, such at the low-alcohol Black Lager, which was made for the Lucy Juicy dry-aged beef burger.